Method, apparatus, and computer program product for training a signature encoding module and a query processing module using augmented data

ABSTRACT

A method, apparatus and computer program product train a signature encoding module (SEM) and a query processing module (QPM). The method generates a digital signature of an object of interest in a reference image provided to the SEM, and provides the SEM with at least one additional reference image that comprises a variation of the reference image and generates a digital signature for the at least one additional reference images. The method also provides the QPM with a query image and a digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature, identifies the object of interest within the query image using the digital signature set, and modifies the SEM or QPM based upon a difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest in the reference image or the at least one additional reference image.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

An example embodiment relates generally to a method, apparatus, and computer program product for training at least one of a signature encoding module and a query processing module to identify objects of interest within an image and, more particularly, for training a signature encoding module to generate a digital signature set representative of an object of interest within variations of a reference image and for correspondingly training a query processing module to utilize the digital signature set to identify the object of interest within another image.

BACKGROUND

Applications of Augmented Reality (AR) typically involve superimposing a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. In some examples, video may be enhanced in real-time by overlaying a camera image with additional data related to what is being shown in the video.

Approaches to such enhancements have revolved around three-dimensional (3D) mapping and 3D positioning. For example, one approach may involve mapping continuous video to 3D point clouds while localizing within the 3D point clouds. However, approaches such as these are difficult to scale since the type and amount of data that is generated imposes significant demands upon the amount of processing resources needed to process such data, particularly in real-time.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A method, apparatus and computer program product are therefore provided in accordance with an example embodiment in order to generate and utilize a digital signature set to identify an object of interest within an image. Rather than 3D mapping, a two-dimensional (2D) approach may be employed to generate portable compact signatures that allow objects of interest, such as stationary objects of interest, to be recognized and highlighted within images in an efficient manner, regardless of external conditions that may be affecting the appearance of the object of interest. As such, detection of objects of interest utilizing a digital signature set may be performed faster and/or more efficiently than other approaches, such as approaches that perform 3D localization for data stored in a 3D point cloud utilizing, for example, extensive back end processing and fail to account for external factors that may affect the appearance of objects of interest. Advantageously, the generated digital signatures may be compact and thus can be stored and delivered as needed on edge devices, making digital signatures useful for many applications that are dependent upon the identification of objects of interest within images.

In an embodiment, a method is provided that includes training at least one of a signature encoding module or a query processing module. The training includes generating a digital signature of an object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in a reference image provided to a signature encoding module. The method of training also includes providing the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image, wherein the at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image. The method of training also includes generating at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image. The method of training also includes providing the query processing module with a query image and a digital signature set. The digital signature set comprises the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature. The method of training also includes identifying the object of interest within the query image based upon the digital signature set. The method of training also includes modifying at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module based upon a qualitative or quantitative difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest in the reference image or the at least one additional reference image.

In some embodiments of the method, the training further comprises processing the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image. The at least one additional reference image is processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by a neural network. The neural network may include one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). In some embodiments of the method, processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.

The augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image may include one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image. The style transfer process may include at least one of a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image.

In another embodiment, an apparatus for training at least one of a signature encoding module or a query processing module is provided. The apparatus includes processing circuitry and at least one memory including computer program code instructions with the computer program code instructions configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to train at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing network. In this regard, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to train the signature encoding module by generating a digital signature of an object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in a reference image provided to the signature encoding module. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to train the signature encoding module by providing the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image. The at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to train the signature encoding module by generating at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to train the query processing module by providing the query processing module with a query image and a digital signature set. The digital signature set comprises the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to train the query processing module by identifying the object of interest within the query image based upon the digital signature set. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to train at least one of the signature encoding module and the query processing module by modifying at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module based upon a qualitative or quantitative difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest in the reference image or the at least one additional reference image.

In some embodiments of the apparatus, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to train the signature encoding module by processing the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image. The at least one additional reference image may be processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by a neural network. The neural network may include one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). In some embodiments of the apparatus, processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.

The augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image may include one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image. The style transfer process may include at least one of a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image.

In a further embodiment, a computer program product is provided that is configured to train at least one of a signature encoding module or a query processing module. The computer program product includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein with the program code instructions being configured to train at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing network. The program code instructions configured to train the signature encoding module include program code instructions configured to generate a digital signature of an object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in a reference image provided to a signature encoding module. The program code instructions configured to train the signature encoding module also include program code instructions configured to provide the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image. The at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image. The program code instructions configured to train the signature encoding module also include program code instructions configured to generate at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image. The program code instructions configured to train the query processing module include program code instructions configured to provide the query processing module with a query image and a digital signature set, the digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature. The program code instructions configured to train the query processing module include program code instructions configured to identify the object of interest within the query image based upon the digital signature set. The program code instructions configured to train at least one of the signature encoding network and the query processing module include program code instructions configured to modify at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module based upon a qualitative or quantitative difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest in the reference image or the at least one additional reference image.

The program code instructions configured to train the signature encoding module may also include program code instructions configured to process the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image. The at least one additional reference image may be processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by a neural network. The neural network may include one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). In some embodiments of the computer program product, processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.

The augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image may include one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image. The style transfer process may include at least one of a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image.

In another embodiment, a method is provided that includes providing a reference image containing an object of interest to a signature encoding module. The method also includes generating, with the signature encoding module, a digital signature representing the object of interest in the reference image. The method also includes providing the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image. The at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image. The method also includes generating at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image. The method also includes providing (i) a digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature and (ii) at least one query image to a query processing module. The method also includes identifying, by the query processing module, the object of interest within the at least one query image based upon the digital signature set.

The method may also include processing the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image. The at least one additional reference image may be processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by a neural network. The neural network may include one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). In some embodiments of the method, processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.

The augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image may include one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image. The style transfer process may include at least one of a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image. The method may also include augmenting the at least one query image based upon the object of interest identified therein.

In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes processing circuitry and at least one memory including computer program code instructions with the computer program code instructions configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to provide a reference image containing an object of interest to a signature encoding module. The computer program code instructions are also configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to generate, with the signature encoding module, a digital signature representing the object of interest in the reference image. The computer program code instructions are also configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to provide the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image. The at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image. The computer program code instructions are also configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to generate at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image. The computer program code instructions are also configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to provide (i) a digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature and (ii) at least one query image to a query processing module. The computer program code instructions are also configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to identify, by the query processing module, the object of interest within the at least one query image based upon the digital signature set.

The computer program code instructions of an example embodiment are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to process the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image. The at least one additional reference image may be processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by a neural network. The neural network may include one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). In some embodiments of the apparatus, processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.

The augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image may include one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image. The style transfer process may include at least one of a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image. In some embodiments, the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuity, cause the apparatus to augment the at least one query image based upon the object of interest identified therein.

In another embodiment, a computer program product is provided that includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein with the program code instructions being configured to provide a reference image containing an object of interest to a signature encoding module. The program code instructions are also configured to generate, with the signature encoding module, a digital signature representing the object of interest in the reference image. The program code instructions are also configured to provide the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image. The at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image. The program code instructions are also configured to generate at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image. The program code instructions are also configured to provide (i) a digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature and (ii) at least one query image to a query processing module. The program code instructions are also configured to identify, by the query processing module, the object of interest within the at least one query image based upon the digital signature set.

The program code instructions may also be configured to process the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image. The at least one additional reference image may be processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by a neural network. The neural network may include one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). In some embodiments of the computer program product, processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.

The augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image may include one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image. The style transfer process may include at least one of a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image. In some embodiments, the program code instructions are also configured to augment the at least one query image based upon the object of interest identified therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described certain embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus that may be specifically configured in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operations performed, such as by the apparatus of FIG. 1 , in order to train a signature encoding module and a query processing module in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of operations performed, such as by the apparatus of FIG. 1 , utilizing a signature encoding module and query processing module in accordance with an example embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operations performed, such as by the apparatus of FIG. 1 , in order to utilize a signature encoding module and a query processing module to identify objects of interest within query images in accordance with an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, various embodiments of the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the terms “data,” “content,” “information,” and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received and/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit and scope of embodiments of the present invention.

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided in accordance with an example embodiment in order to train a signature encoding module and a query processing module to identify objects of interest within one or more images. The method, apparatus and computer program product of an example embodiment are configured to train a signature encoding module to generate a digital signature set representative of an object of interest within a reference image and, in some embodiments, at least some of the context associated with the object of interest within an image, as well as variations of the reference image and to correspondingly train a query processing module to utilize the digital signature set to identify the object of interest within another image. In this regard, portable compact signatures may be generated and utilized to allow for the ability to efficiently recognize and highlight objects of interest within images, regardless of external (e.g., environmental) conditions that may affect the appearance of the object of interest at a given time.

Embodiments herein describe training and usage of a signature encoding module and a query processing module in order to generate and utilize a digital signature set. As described below, the signature encoding module and the query processing module may be trained concomitantly. Alternatively, one of the signature encoding module and the query processing module may have been previously trained and only the other one of the signature encoding module and the query processing module is trained, while making use of the one that has been previously trained.

In some embodiments, the signature encoding module and query processing module may be configured in various manners, but, in one embodiment, are each deep learning models. The respective deep learning models of the signature encoding module and the query processing module may be trained, such as by being trained concomitantly. By way of example, but not of limitation, the signature encoding module and/or the query processing module may each comprise a layered or recurrent network, such as a pyramidal network, and, in one embodiment, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), such as a Residual Neural Network (a ResNet). In some embodiments, the query processing module may include one or more aggregating layers configured to combine a digital signature generated by the signature encoding module with a query image decomposition.

The signature encoding module may be configured to, using a reference image that may have an area of the image demarcated (e.g., by masking the reference image) to signify an object of interest (e.g., place of interest, or the like), generate a digital signature (e.g., a sequence of bytes) that represents the object of interest in the context of the reference image. A digital signature is a portable digital representation of an object of interest that can be utilized as described herein to locate the object of interest utilizing computer vision. While some embodiments herein describe demarcation of reference images by using image masks, it is to be appreciated that other methods of demarcation may be used. In some embodiments, demarcation may not be used, and the object of interest may be automatically recognized, e.g., through use one or more image recognition processes. As also described below, in some embodiments, digital signatures that are generated by the signature encoding module are dependent not only upon the object of interest, but also upon at least some of the context associated with the object of interest. This context may include the environment or other surroundings located about the object of interest. In other words, the context associated with an object of interest is context that is visible when viewing the object of interest and, for at least some objects of interest, is external to the object of interest. By way of example, in an instance in which a particular building is the object of interest, the context may include other adjacent buildings as well as other features, e.g., statues, street signs, open spaces, etc., in the vicinity of the building.

In addition to the reference image for which a digital signature is generated as described above, the signature encoding module may be configured to receive or otherwise access additional reference images of the particular object of interest and generate additional digital signatures of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the additional reference images. These additional reference images may be variations of the reference image that have been processed to add, subtract, or augment one or more characteristics of the original reference image, as further described below.

The query processing module may be configured to, using a digital signature set generated by the signature encoding module and one or more query images, identify the object of interest within the one or more query images based upon the digital signature set of the same object of interest in combination with the particular context with which the object of interest is associated. By taking into account the context associated with an object of interest in the generation of a digital signature, a particular object of interest may be identified within a query image even if there are other similar objects present. For example, in an example embodiment in which the object of interest is a particular franchised restaurant located at a specific location, the generation of a digital signature of the particular restaurant that takes into account the context associated the specific location such that the particular restaurant can be distinguished from other restaurants of the same franchise that are at different locations. Although the different restaurants may all have the same appearance, the context associated with the restaurants is different from one restaurant to another, thereby allowing the digital signature to distinguish the restaurants. By taking the context associated with an object of interest into account in the generation of the digital signature, the query processing module is capable of identifying a particular object of interest within a query image even if occlusions or distortions in the query image prevent the particular object of interest from being fully visible in the query image.

Additionally, by taking into account varying images of the object of interest in the generation of the digital signature set, a particular object of interest may be more efficiently and accurately identified within a query image even if there are other factors changing the appearance of the object of interest and/or the context of the object of interest within a captured image, for example, environmental factors such as lighting, weather conditions, seasonal conditions, changes in camera and/or image properties, and/or the like.

In some embodiments, the signature encoding module and query processing module may perform operations on multiple images (e.g., reference images and query images) concomitantly during the training process. In some embodiments, once a digital signature is generated by the signature encoding module, the digital signature may be stored (e.g., in memory and/or database 24) and used in other processes (e.g., query processing module processes) without having to use the original reference images and associated masks. In this regard, the stored digital signature provides a compact representation of an object of interest, thereby providing a technical advantage in terms of storage efficiency and the speed and efficiency with which digital signatures of a digital signature set representative of an object of interest under varying conditions may be retrieved and processed, such as in conjunction with the identification of an object of interest within a query image.

The apparatus that is configured to train the signature encoding module and the query processing module to generate and utilize digital signature sets may be any of a wide variety of computing devices. For example, the apparatus may be embodied by a server, a computer workstation, a distributed network of computing devices, a personal computer, a navigation or mapping system, or any other type of computing device.

Regardless of the manner in which the apparatus is embodied, however, the apparatus 10 includes, is associated with, or is in communication with processing circuitry 12, memory 14, a communication interface 16, signature encoding module 20, query processing module 22, image variation circuitry 26, and optionally a user interface 18 as shown in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 12 (and/or co-processors or any other processors assisting or otherwise associated with the processing circuitry) can be in communication with the memory 14 via a bus for passing information among components of the apparatus. The memory 14 can be non-transitory and can include, for example, one or more volatile and/or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example, the memory 14 may be an electronic storage device (for example, a computer readable storage medium) comprising gates configured to store data (for example, bits) that can be retrievable by a machine (for example, a computing device like the processing circuitry). The memory can be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, or the like for enabling the apparatus to carry out various functions in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the memory 14 can be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processing circuitry 12. Additionally or alternatively, the memory can be configured to store instructions for execution by the processing circuitry.

The processing circuitry 12 can be embodied in a number of different ways. For example, the processing circuitry 12 may be embodied as one or more of various hardware processing means such as a processor, a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing element with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing circuitry including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like. As such, in some embodiments, the processing circuitry 12 can include one or more processing cores configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor can enable multiprocessing within a single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, the processing circuitry 12 can include one or more processors configured in tandem via the bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining and/or multithreading.

In an example embodiment, the processing circuitry 12 can be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 14 or otherwise accessible to the processing circuitry. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry can be configured to execute hard coded functionality. As such, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, the processing circuitry can represent an entity (for example, physically embodied in circuitry) capable of performing operations according to an embodiment of the present disclosure while configured accordingly. Thus, for example, when the processing circuitry is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA or the like, the processing circuitry can be specifically configured hardware for conducting the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when the processing circuitry is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions can specifically configure the processing circuitry to perform the algorithms and/or operations described herein when the instructions are executed. However, in some cases, the processing circuitry can be a processor of a specific device (for example, a computing device) configured to employ an embodiment of the present disclosure by further configuration of the processor by instructions for performing the algorithms and/or operations described herein. The processing circuitry 12 can include, among other things, a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and/or one or more logic gates configured to support operation of the processing circuitry.

The apparatus 10 of an example embodiment can also include the communication interface 16 that can be any means such as a device or circuitry embodied in either hardware or a combination of hardware and software that is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to other electronic devices in communication with the apparatus, such as a database 24 which, in one embodiment, comprises a map database that stores data (e.g., map data, route data, etc.) generated and/or employed by the processing circuitry 12. Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface can be configured to communicate in accordance with various wireless protocols including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), such as but not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE). In this regard, the communication interface can include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and/or software for enabling communications with a wireless communication network. In this regard, the communication interface can include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and/or software for enabling communications with a wireless communication network. Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface can include the circuitry for interacting with the antenna(s) to cause transmission of signals via the antenna(s) or to handle receipt of signals received via the antenna(s). In some environments, the communication interface can alternatively or also support wired communication and/or may alternatively support vehicle to vehicle or vehicle to infrastructure wireless links.

The apparatus 10 may also comprise a signature encoding module 20. The signature encoding module may be configured to perform operations associated with generating a digital signature. For example, the signature encoding module 20 may receive, as input, a reference image that includes an object of interest that has been demarcated and be trained to provide, as output, a digital signature representing the object of interest and at least some of the context associated with the object of interest as further described herein.

In some embodiments, the signature encoding module may comprise a deep learning model, such as a CNN and, more particularly, a ResNet. In this regard, the signature encoding module may comprise a layered or recurrent structure, such as a pyramidal structure, of neural network layers configured to extract features from reference images provided to the signature encoding module such that a digital signature may be derived.

The apparatus 10 may also comprise a query processing module 22. The query processing module 22 may be configured to perform operations associated with identifying objects of interest within query images based upon a digital signature representative of an object of interest and at least some of the context associated with the object of interest. For example, the query processing module may receive, as input, one or more query images in addition to a digital signature, such as a digital signature generated by the signature encoding module 20 and stored by the memory 14 and/or a database 24. Based thereupon, the query processing module may be trained to predict a location in the one or more query images that contains the object of interest. In some embodiments, the query processing module may also comprise a deep learning model, such as a CNN, e.g., a ResNet. The query processing module of an example embodiment may also comprise a layered or recurrent structure, such as a pyramidal structure, of neural network layers configured to extract features from one or more query images and to utilize the digital signature to identify the corresponding object of interest within the one or more query images.

The apparatus 10 may also comprise image variation circuitry 26. The image variation circuitry may be configured to perform operations associated with generating images and/or variations of images, such as through one or more style transfer processes. In this regard, the image variation circuitry 26 may comprise one or more neural networks configured to process images in accordance with one or more style transfer processes. For example, the one or more neural networks may be an Auto Encoder neural network, a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), and/or the like. The neural networks may be trained such that the neural networks can transform images having a particular set of characteristics into an image having one or more characteristics added, removed, and/or augmented.

Although depicted in FIG. 1 to be distinct from the processing circuitry 12, the signature encoding module 20, image variation circuitry 26, and/or the query processing module 22 may be embodied by the processing circuitry in other example embodiments.

In some embodiments, the database 24 may be configured to store representations of a plurality of images and associated metadata. In some embodiments, the representations of the plurality of images may be the embeddings, such as hashable embeddings, generated for the respective images, although different or additional representations of the images may be stored in the database in other embodiments including storage of the images themselves. The metadata for the plurality of images may comprise location data (e.g., GPS coordinates) that defines the location at which the image was taken. The metadata for the plurality of images may also comprise camera-related information, such as a camera orientation at the time that the image was captured and/or other camera-related information.

The database 24 may also store one or more digital signature sets associated with respective images. The digital signatures of the digital signature sets are representative of an object of interest within a respective image, as well as at least some of the context associated with the object of interest within the image. One or more digital signatures may be associated with a digital signature set. In an embodiment in which multiple digital signatures are associated with a digital signature set, each digital signature may be representative of the same object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest under differing conditions.

The apparatus 10 may also optionally include a user interface 18 that may, in turn, be in communication with the processing circuitry 12 to provide output to the user and, in some embodiments, to receive an indication of a user input. As such, the user interface may include a display and, in some embodiments, may also include a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touch screen, touch areas, soft keys, one or more microphones, a plurality of speakers, or other input/output mechanisms. In one embodiment, the processing circuitry may comprise user interface circuitry configured to control at least some functions of one or more user interface elements such as a display and, in some embodiments, a plurality of speakers, a ringer, one or more microphones and/or the like. The processing circuitry and/or user interface circuitry embodied by the processing circuitry may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more user interface elements through computer program instructions (for example, software and/or firmware) stored on a memory accessible to the processing circuitry (for example, memory 14, and/or the like).

Referring now to FIG. 2 , the operations performed, such as by the apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 , in order to train at least one of a signature encoding module 20 or a query processing module 22 and, by way of a more specific example, to concomitantly train both the signature encoding module 20 and the query processing module 22 are depicted. With respect to the concomitant training of the signature encoding module and the query processing module, the signature encoding module and the query processing module may be trained concurrently. Alternatively, the signature encoding module and the query processing module may be trained in an intermittent manner in which the signature encoding module is initially trained and the signature encoding module, as trained, may then remain static while the query processing module is trained. The signature encoding module could then again be further trained while the query processing module remains static, and so on in an iterative manner. In any instance, the training of the signature encoding module and the query processing module is interdependent.

As shown in block 201, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the signature encoding module, and/or the like, for generating a digital signature of an object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in a reference image provided to a signature encoding module. In this regard, the apparatus 10 includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, communication interface 16, and/or the like, for providing a reference image containing an object of interest to a signature encoding module. In some embodiments, the object of interest is marked within the reference image that is provided to the signature encoding module. Although described herein as the provision of a reference image, a plurality of reference images and, in an example embodiment, a video comprised of a plurality of frames may be provided to the signature encoding module, each of which is processed as described herein. As such, reference herein to the provision of a reference image also comprises the provision of a plurality of reference images in other example embodiments.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the communication interface 16, and/or the like, for receiving a reference image. In some embodiments, the reference image may be received from a source external to and in communication with the apparatus (e.g., by way of communication interface 16), the database 24, from memory 14, and/or other sources.

In some embodiments, the reference image depicts an object of interest. For example, the reference image may be an image generated by a camera (e.g., a photograph or a frame from a video) such that the image depicts real-world content (e.g., buildings, roads, signs, landmarks, and/or other objects). In this regard, the object of interest may be content that is desired to be located in one or more other images (e.g., query images discussed further below). The object of interest is stationary in at least some example embodiments.

In some embodiments, during training, the reference image may be modified such that the object of interest within the reference image is demarcated. The object of interest may be demarcated in the reference image in various manners. For example, in some embodiments, in addition to a reference image, an image mask that demarcates the object of interest in the reference image may also be provided to the signature encoding module. For example, an image mask may take the form of a matrix having elements that correspond to one or more pixels of the reference image. In this example embodiment, the matrix may be configured to designate certain pixels of the reference image that include the object of interest. In other embodiments, the object of interest may be demarcated within the reference image itself. Demarcation of the object of interest may occur prior to the apparatus 10 receiving the reference image.

Once the reference image and demarcation of the object of interest within the reference image are provided to the signature encoding module 20, the signature encoding module may use the reference image to generate a digital signature for the object of interest and for at least some context associated with the object of interest captured in the reference image.

As described herein, “context” may refer to a portion of an image that is near to, such as by being adjacent to, proximate or surrounding, the object of interest. For example, in an instance in which the object of interest in a reference image is a particular building, the context may comprise one or more buildings or other objects that are in close proximity to the particular building. In an embodiment in which the object of interest is demarcated, such as with an image mask, the context is generally represented by a portion of the reference image that is outside of, but adjacent or otherwise proximate or near to the image mask. Embodiments herein describe an object of interest that is stationary (e.g., a building), as well as context surrounding the object of interest being also stationary (e.g., neighboring buildings, locations, or the like). Since the object of interest is stationary, the stationary context surrounding the object of interest may be considered in conjunction with the identification of the object of interest in contrast to the identification or recognition of mobile or deformable objects of interest, which cannot rely upon the context in the vicinity thereof since the context may change based upon the mobility or deformability of these other object of interest. The context is typically implicit and need not be specifically designated as such.

In some embodiments, the signature encoding module may comprise a plurality of neural network layers configured to decompose the reference image and a representation therein of the object of interest and at least some of the context associated with the object of interest to extract features therefrom and to derive a digital signature representing a combination of the object of interest and at least some of the context associated with the object of interest. For example, in some embodiments, the digital signature may be derived based on the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest, such as one or more objects in the reference image other than the object of interest.

In some embodiments, the apparatus, such as the signature encoding module 20, is configured to generate the digital signature by analyzing the reference image at different (e.g., higher) resolutions and extracting additional features from the reference image as the reference image is advanced from a courser resolution processed by one neural network layer to a finer resolution processed by another, subsequent neural network layer.

To illustrate, FIG. 3 depicts a graphical representation of an apparatus 10 having a signature encoding module 420 that is provided with a reference image 405 having a demarcated object of interest 410. As shown, the signature encoding module 420 comprises a plurality of neural network layers in a multi-scale, e.g., layered or recurrent, structure configured to decompose the reference image and a representation therein of the object of interest to extract features therefrom. As a result, the signature encoding module is configured to derive a digital signature 440 representing the object of interest that was demarcated in the reference image along with at least some of the context associated with the object of interest.

In some embodiments, the digital signature may comprise a sequence of bits and bytes unique to the object of interest and the associated context. In this regard, the digital signature may be derived based on both the object of interest and at least some of its context such that different digital signatures would be generated for identical objects of interest if those objects of interest were in different locations with different context associated therewith. In other words, a digital signature may be a portable, compact digital representation of an object of interest, such as a place, structure, or entity, that can be used to locate the object of interest using computer vision.

In order to more accurately and efficiently recognize objects of interest within images, such as images captured by image capture devices at various times, additional digital signatures may be determined for an object of interest that reflect how the object of interest may appear at various times or under various conditions, such as lighting or weather conditions and/or by being captured by a differently configured image capture device. For example, a particular restaurant captured in an image taken on a clear summer day will look significantly different from the same restaurant captured in an image taken in winter when the restaurant and its surroundings are covered in a blanket of snow. In this regard, when attempting to determine what the object of interest captured in the winter picture is, the digital signature for the restaurant captured in the summer image may not register as the same object.

To alleviate these issues, a digital signature set may be determined and stored for a particular object of interest. The digital signature set may comprise one or more digital signatures that have each been determined for the object of interest under varying conditions. In some embodiments, the digital signature set may comprise just one digital signature that is determined based on all digital signatures determined for the object of interest under varying conditions. To efficiently generate the digital signature set, rather than manually capturing images of the object of interest at various times of the year or waiting for certain weather conditions to occur, image variation circuitry 26, as described above, can be employed to process a single reference image or a limited number of reference images to generate variations of the reference image, once the reference image is received by the apparatus 10.

The image variation circuitry 26 may comprise one or more models (e.g., neural network models) configured to generate additional reference images that each comprise a variation of the main reference image that was captured by the image capture device. In this regard, the apparatus 10 the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the image variation circuitry 26, and/or the like, for processing the reference image to generate at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image.

The reference image may be processed in various ways, such as in accordance with one or more style transfer processes carried out by one or more trained neural networks of the image variation circuitry 26. For example, the style transfer processes may include one or more of an additional, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image in order to generate an additional reference image. In some embodiments, changes to the characteristics of the reference image may include an augmentation to a scaling of the image (e.g., an increase or decrease to the size of the image or the object of interest within the image), a cropping of the reference image, an adjustment to the contrast of the reference image, an adjustment to the brightness of the reference image, an adjustment to one or more colors of the reference image, an aspect ratio adjustment, an increase or decrease in blurriness of the reference image, and/or other types of augmentation.

In some embodiments, changes to the characteristics of the reference image may include altering the image to appear as though the image was captured at a different time. For example, one or more trained neural network models may be configured to add and/or remove features from the captured reference image. For example, leaves may be removed from trees surrounding or in front of the object of interest and leaves may be added to the ground surrounding the object of interest in order to appear as though the image was captured in autumn. As another example, falling snow may be added to the reference image and fallen snow may be added to be displayed on and/or around the object of interest to appear as though the image was taken in winter during a heavy snowfall. As yet another example, shading, colors, and/or the like may be augmented in a reference image in order to appear as though the image was captured at night rather than during the day.

In some embodiments, changes to the characteristics of the reference image may include altering the image to appear as though the image was captured by a different image capture device or under different settings of the image capture device with which the reference image was originally captured. For example, a field of view, focal length, resolution, and/or other characteristics of the reference image may be augmented in various manners. In some embodiments, changes to the characteristics of the reference image may include altering the image to appear as though the image was captured at a different perspective.

Once one or more additional reference images have been generated, at operation 202, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the signature encoding module 20, and/or the like, for providing the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image. The at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image.

For example, in some embodiments, the one or more additional reference images comprising variations of the reference image may be provided to the signature encoding module and/or the query processing module as additional training data in order to improve the ability of the signature encoding module and/or the query processing module to generalize and/or recognize objects of interest in instances in which the objects of interest may appear differently due to external factors. In this regard, the underlying models of the signature encoding network and/or the query processing module may utilize the training data comprising the variations of the reference image in order to more accurately identify objects of interest and capture and/or adjust for any invariances the signature encoding module and/or the query processing module may have in regards to identifying objects of interest.

Digital signatures for each of the additional reference images may then be determined. In this regard, at operation 203, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the signature encoding module 20, and/or the like, for generating at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and, in some embodiments, at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image.

In some embodiments, once the various digital signatures for the object of interest have been generated, the digital signature may be stored (e.g., as a digital signature set), such that the digital signature set may be retrieved and used independent of the reference images and additional reference images in order to identify the corresponding object of interest in other images. In this regard, the apparatus 10 includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the database 24 and/or the like, for storing the digital signature set. For example, the digital signature set may be stored in memory 14, database 24, and/or another repository or storage source.

In conjunction with the technique for concomitantly training the signature encoding module 20 and the query processing module 22, once the digital signature set is generated (and optionally stored) as described above, the digital signature set may be provided to the query processing module. In addition to the digital signature set, one or more query images may be provided to the query processing module such that the query processing module, once properly trained, can identify the object of interest that is represented by the digital signature set within the one or more query images. In this regard, at operation 204, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the query processing module 20, and/or the like, for providing the query processing model with a query image and a digital signature set. The digital signature set comprises the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature.

For example, in some embodiments, a query image may comprise an image similar to a reference image (e.g., a photograph or video of real-world content), but may be a photograph or video taken at a different time and/or from a different vantage point from the location at which the reference image was taken. In this regard, the query image may depict the same object of interest (and associated context) as the reference image, albeit from a different time, angle or viewpoint, and/or under different conditions (e.g., weather, lighting, etc.). In some embodiments, during training of the query processing module, a query image that does not depict the object of interest may be provided to the query processing module, along with one or more query images that do include the object of interest, in order to more effectively train the query processing module to identify the object of interest only in those query images that actually include the object of interest.

Query images may be provided to the query processing module 22 in a number of ways. For example, query images may be received from a source external to and in communication with the apparatus (e.g., by way of communication interface 16), the database 24, from memory 14, and/or other sources.

As illustrated for example in FIG. 3 , a digital signature set 440, such as a digital signature set generated by the signature encoding module 420, is provided to a query processing module 430. The digital signature set may be provided directly by the signature encoding module, or by a database or other data repository that has stored the digital signature set. Additionally, at least one query image 445 is provided to the query processing module 430, as described above.

In some embodiments, the query processing module may combine the received digital signature set representing the object of interest under various conditions with a decomposition of the query image using one or more aggregating layers of the plurality of neural network layers of the query processing module 430. At operation 205, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the query processing module 22, and/or the like, for identifying the object of interest within the query image based upon the digital signature set. In some embodiments, the apparatus, such as the processing circuitry, may be configured to concurrently process a plurality of images so as to identify a respective object of interest. The use of multiple images can be useful to increase the accuracy with which the object of interest is identified. For example, for a short video clip, the apparatus, such as the processing circuitry, may be configured to process a number of frames of the video clip to improve the performance in regards to identification of an object of interest within any individual frame as information regarding the manner in which one frame is processed may facilitate the processing of other frames and the identification of the same object of interest therein.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the query processing module 22, and/or the like, for augmenting the at least one query image based upon the object of interest identified therein. The query image may be augmented in various manners to identify the object of interest. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , an augmented image 460 may be provided as an output of the query processing module 430. In this regard, the query image may be augmented by overlaying a representation 465 of the object of interest that has been identified based upon the digital signature set upon the query image, thereby producing an augmented image 460. For example, in some embodiments, the augmented image may comprise an image mask demarking the object of interest within the query image. Although the digital signature is representative of both the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest, the portion of the query image that is designated, such as by the augmentation, as being representative of the object of interest is that portion that illustrates the object of interest, but not the context associated therewith.

Once the object of interest has been identified in the query image, at operation 206, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the signature encoding module 20, the query processing module 22 and/or the like, for modifying at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module based upon a qualitative or quantitative difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest marked in the reference image or the at least one additional reference image. For example, the apparatus may include means, such as the processing circuitry or the like, for comparing the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest in the reference image or the additional reference images using an objective function, such as a cost function or a loss function, with at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module then being modified based upon a result of the objective function. In some embodiments, at least one of the signature encoding module and the query processing module may be modified to reduce a qualitative or quantitative difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest marked in the reference image or additional reference image(s).

By repeating the foregoing process a plurality of times by providing the signature encoding module 20 with a reference image with an object of interest being marked therein along with additional reference images that comprise variations of the reference image as training data and then utilizing the resulting digital signature set as an input along with one or more query images to the query processing module 22 and then modifying the signature encoding module and/or the query processing module based upon a qualitative or quantitative difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest in the reference image or additional reference images, the signature encoding module and the query processing module may be trained to perform more accurately and improve upon invariances such that objects of interests may be accurately and efficiently identified. In this regard, the signature encoding module may be trained to generate digital signatures that permit an object to interest to be accurately identified under various conditions, and the query processing module may be trained to accurately identify the object of interest based upon a digital signature representative of the object of interest and at least some of the context associated therewith, regardless of conditions and/or external environmental factors or other factors impacting the appearance of the object of interest within a captured image at any time. Moreover, as a result of the training of the signature encoding module, the context (such as in terms of the amount of the context and/or the type of context) that is included with the object of interest in conjunction with the generation of the digital signature set is a function of the training of the signature encoding process with the context that is included being defined to be that context that allows digital signature sets to be generated that permit an object to interest to be accurately identified.

By utilizing the digital signature sets, the objects of interest may subsequently be identified in query images, as shown by the operations of FIG. 4 , in a manner that conserves processing resources and is more timely than at least some other image analysis techniques. At operation 401, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the communication interface 16, and/or the like, for providing a reference image containing an object of interest to a signature encoding module. For example, as described above in connection with operation 201 of FIG. 2 , the apparatus 10 may receive a reference image, such as from a source external to and in communication with the apparatus, e.g., by way of communication interface 16, the database 24, from memory 14, and/or other sources. As described above, the reference image depicts an object of interest which may include content that is desired to be located in one or more other images (e.g., query images).

At operation 402, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the signature encoding module 20, and/or the like, for generating, with the signature encoding module, a digital signature representing the object of interest in the reference image. As described above in connection with operation 201 of FIG. 2 , the signature encoding module may use the reference image to generate a digital signature for the object of interest and for at least some context associated with the object of interest captured in the reference image.

At operation 403, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the communication interface 16, and/or the like, for providing the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image. The at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image. For example, the at least one additional reference image that is provided to the signature encoding module may have been generated using image variation circuitry 26, as described above in connection with operation 202 of FIG. 2 . In this regard, the image variation circuitry 26 may comprise one or more models (e.g., neural network models) configured to generate additional reference images that each comprise a variation of the main reference image that was captured by the image capture device. In this regard, the apparatus 10 includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the image variation circuitry 26, and/or the like, for processing the reference image to generate at least one additional reference image comprising a variation of the reference image. The reference image may be processed in various ways, such as in accordance with one or more style transfer processes as described above.

At operation 404, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the signature encoding module 20, and/or the like, for generating at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image. In this regard, as described above, a digital signature set can be generated for the object of interest in the reference image.

In some embodiments, the digital signature set may be stored in the database 24 as described above. In some embodiments, the digital signature set may be stored in association with location data for the object of interest. For example, latitude and longitude coordinates and/or other forms of location data for the object of interest may be inferred or obtained using the original reference image, such as through metadata of the reference image (e.g., a location where the image was captured).

At operation 405, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the communication interface 16, and/or the like, for providing (i) a digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature and (ii) at least one query image to a query processing module. For example, the at least one query image may be received at a time in the future after the digital signature set for the object of interest has been stored. In this regard, the apparatus 10 includes means, such as processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the communication interface 16, and/or the like, for receiving one or more query images. Query images may be received from a source external to and in communication with the apparatus, e.g., by way of communication interface 16, the database 24, from memory 14, and/or other sources, such as an image capture device. Once a query image is received, location data associated with the query image (e.g., through metadata) may be used to identify one or more digital signature sets that may represent the object of interest within the query image. For example, rather than searching an entirety of the database 24 for digital signature sets that may represent the object of interest within the query image, only digital signature sets stored in association with location data matching or within a predefined proximity to the location of the query image may be accessed and provided to the query processing module.

In some embodiments, one or more encodings, such as hashed encodings, of reference images may be stored in the database 24. The stored hashed encodings may represent reference images as well as reference images that have been altered (e.g., via image variation circuitry 26). In this regard, in addition or alternatively to utilizing digital signature sets to identify an object of interest within a query image, localization of a query image may be performed by comparing an encoding of the query image with stored encodings of one or more reference images.

At operation 406, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the query processing module 22, and/or the like, for identifying, by the query processing module, the object of interest within the at least one query image based upon the digital signature set. By using the digital signature set built on variations in appearance of the object of interest, the object of interest may be identified regardless of external factors that may impact the appearance of the object of interest within the query image (e.g., weather, time, camera and/or image properties, etc.) as described above. Once the object of interest is identified within the query image, the query image may be augmented by overlaying a representation 465 of the object of interest that has been identified based upon the digital signature set upon the query image, thereby producing an augmented image 460. In this regard, at operation 407, the apparatus includes means, such as the processing circuitry 12, memory 14, the query processing module 22, and/or the like, for augmenting the at least one query image based upon the object of interest identified therein.

While embodiments discussed herein describe the generation and use of variations of a reference image, it is to be appreciated that these embodiments may be performed using representations of reference images and variations of the reference image, such as by using hashes of images and/or other types of representations as described above.

By appropriately training the signature encoding module 20 and the query processing module 22 to generate digital signature sets representative of objects of interest and the context associated therewith under varying conditions and to identify an object of interest from a query image utilizing a digital signature set of the object of interest, respectively, objects of interest may be reliably identified from images based upon digital signatures of the objects of interest, regardless of differences in appearance of the object of interest at any given time. Thus, a database of digital signature sets of various objects of interest (and the associated context) may be maintained, thereby providing for efficient storage of information associated with a wide variety of objects of interest without necessarily having to store the corresponding images.

FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrate flowcharts depicting a method according to an example embodiment of the present invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowcharts and combination of blocks in the flowcharts may be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, processor, circuitry, and/or other communication devices associated with execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the procedures described above may be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions which embody the procedures described above may be stored by a memory device 14 of an apparatus 10 employing an embodiment of the present invention and executed by the processing circuitry 12. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus (for example, hardware) to produce a machine, such that the resulting computer or other programmable apparatus implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture the execution of which implements the function specified in the flowchart blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the flowcharts support combinations of means for performing the specified functions and combinations of operations for performing the specified functions for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. For example, although a supervised learning technique has been described in conjunction with the training of the signature encoding module 20 and the query processing module 22, various forms of unsupervised learning or partially supervised learning may, instead, be employed in other example embodiments. Additionally, while the signature encoding module and the query processing module may be trained concomitantly, the method, apparatus and computer program product of an example embodiment are configured to train one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module with the other one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module having been previously trained. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, in some embodiments, additional optional operations may be included. Modifications, additions, or amplifications to the operations above may be performed in any order and in any combination.

Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising training at least one of a signature encoding module and a query processing module, wherein the training comprises: generating a digital signature of an object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in a reference image provided to a signature encoding module; providing the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image generated via a neural network, wherein the at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image, the variation comprising at least one of: a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image; generating at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image; providing the query processing module with a query image and a digital signature set, the digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature; identifying the object of interest within the query image based upon the digital signature set; and modifying at least one of the signature encoding module or the query processing module based upon a qualitative or quantitative difference between the object of interest identified within the query image and the object of interest in the reference image or the at least one additional reference image.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the training further comprises: processing the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising the variation of the reference image.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one additional reference image is processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by the neural network.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the neural network comprises one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN).
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprises one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference image and the at least one additional reference image are represented by respective encodings.
 8. A method comprising: providing a reference image containing an object of interest to a signature encoding module; generating, with the signature encoding module, a digital signature representing the object of interest in the reference image; providing the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image generated via a neural network, wherein the at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image, the variation comprising at least one of: a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image; generating at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image; providing (i) a digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature and (ii) at least one query image to a query processing module; and identifying, by the query processing module, the object of interest within the at least one query image based upon the digital signature set.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: processing the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising the variation of the reference image.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one additional reference image is processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by the neural network.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the neural network comprises one or more of an auto encoder network or a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN).
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the augmentation of the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprises one or more of an augmentation of a scaling of the reference image, a cropping of the reference image, a contrast of the reference image, a brightness of the reference image, a color of the reference image, or a blurring of the reference image.
 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising augmenting the at least one query image based upon the object of interest identified therein.
 15. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry and at least one memory including computer program code instructions, the computer program code instructions configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: provide a reference image containing an object of interest to a signature encoding module; generate, with the signature encoding module, a digital signature representing the object of interest in the reference image; provide the signature encoding module with at least one additional reference image generated via a neural network, wherein the at least one additional reference image comprises a variation of the reference image, the variation comprising at least one of: a change in weather condition of the reference image, a change in season of the reference image, or a change in time-of-day of the reference image; generate at least one additional digital signature of the object of interest and at least some context associated with the object of interest in the at least one additional reference image; provide (i) a digital signature set comprising the digital signature and the at least one additional digital signature and (ii) at least one query image to a query processing module; and identify, by the query processing module, the object of interest within the at least one query image based upon the digital signature set.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer program code instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: process the reference image to generate the at least one additional reference image comprising the variation of the reference image.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one additional reference image is processed in accordance with a respective style transfer process carried out by the neural network.
 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein processing the at least one additional reference image in accordance with the respective style transfer process comprises one or more of an addition, removal, or augmentation of one or more characteristics of the reference image.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some context associated with the object of interest comprises a portion of an image that is adjacent to, proximate, or surrounding the object of interest.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signature of the object of interest is generated by analyzing the reference image at a plurality of different resolutions and extracting additional features from the reference image as the reference image is advanced from a courser resolution processed by one neural network layer of the neural network to a finer resolution processed by another neural network layer of the neural network. 